1189-1192. Moslem divisions had been
one cause for the success of the First Crusade. Now the Kurdish Saladin built a strong
Moslem state which enveloped the Latin kingdom on its land frontiers. In 1147 in a
memorable and decisive battle at Hattin, the European forces were cut to pieces. Jerusalem
and most of the Crusader's centers soon fell to the triumphant Islam. It was to retrieve
these losses that the Third Crusade was launched. This also was a grand affair, planned
jointly by the Emperor Frederick I (known better as Frederick Barbarossa), the king of
France, and the King of England. This Crusade was the most courtly, chivalrous, and
romantic of all. The Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, led a German force through
Byzantium, and aroused the usual fears with the usual foundation. By the time of the Third
Crusade, the magic and wonder had gone out of these movements altogether. The common
people had found them out. The idea of the crusades was cheapened by their too frequent
and trivial use. Whenever the pope quarreled with anyone now, he called for a crusade
until the word ceased to mean anything but an attempt to give flavor to an unpalatable
war.

The loss of the Holy City filled all Europe with sorrow; the emperor, Frederick, Richard,
Philip Augustus of France, and several minor princes assumed the cross. Frederick advanced
through the Byzantine territories, harassed at every step by Greek fraud and treachery.
The army persevered, and joined the eastern Christians in the famous siege of Acre. The
kings of England and France.. appeared together as companions in arms. In October, 1187,
Jerusalem fell into the hands of the sultan Saladin. This roused the old emperor Frederick
to go himself to recover the city. He defeated the sultan at Iconium But Frederick was
drowned in attempting to ford the river Calycadnus in Asia Minor (1190) before reaching
the Holy Land. Some of his troops continued to Palestine and were joined by Philip
Augustus of France and Richard the Lionhearted of England, both deadly rivals in the west.
Reinforcements from the west had dwindled to trickle. Religious bitterness was mitigated
by the idea of knightly gallantry, which obsessed both Saladin and Richard, and the lover
of romance may very well turn to the romances about this period for its flavor.

The crusade saved the principality of Antioch for a time, but failed to retake Jerusalem.
The Christians, however, remained in possession of the sea coast of Palestine. Jerusalem
could not be captured but Saladin signed a treaty with Richard allowing Christians to
visit it freely. Richard I of England now became the chief leader of the Crusade amid
great difficulties caused by the jealousies of other princes and his own inconsiderate
eagerness, for he was but a glorified schoolboy. The scheming King Philip Augustus of
France, and the adventurous King Richard. Philip sailed directly to Acre. Richard turned
aside on the way east to take Cyprus, and then joined forces with Philip Augustus in the
siege of Acre a year later. Richard and Philip promptly fell out, there had long been a
quarrel between the house of Anjou and the House of Capet. The two monarchs took opposite
sides in a dispute over the succession to the crown of Jerusalem, ridiculous since the
Kingdom was mostly in Moslem hands. Philip becoming indisposed, went home - "diplomatic
illness" no doubt, and Richard was left to himself. The recapture of Acre was the
chief tangible achievement of the costly expedition. On the return journey overland,
Richard was captured by Frederick's successor, Henry VI, and held for a ransom to three
time the English governments annual income. Raising that exorbitant sum forced the
invention of new forms of taxation and taught later English Kings how to get money from
their people. However Cyprus was won and would remain under Frankish rule for several
centuries longer.
[03, 05, 14, 23, 25, 26]

The Lord has given Christians the grace to reconcile the children to their Fathers